Joseph Matthew Zorc

Joseph M. Zorc of Fairhaven, MD, passed away on December 29, 2022 at age 83. He was raised in North Chicago, Illinois by his parents, Joseph and Anne (nee Slana) Zorc, along with his younger brother R. David Zorc. His parents highly valued education, leading to Joe attending Mother of God elementary school, boarding school at Campion High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and college at John Carroll University, the University of Vienna, and the University of San Francisco, from which he graduated in 1961. In 1964, he married Catalina Baron Zorc of Washington, DC, and graduated from Georgetown Law. They enjoyed traveling in Europe for 6 months in the year after their marriage.

After initially studying and practicing government contracts law, Joe began working at the newEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970. He traveled extensively across the country working late nights developing significant grant programs and other matters as the EPA grew and rising in the management ranks of the General Counsel’s Office. He was awarded a Medal for Commendable Service from the EPA, recognizing his “unusual ability to bring order out of chaos in grant program administration. …His grant regulations have become a model for the entire Federal government and an indispensable tool for those who rely on them.” After leaving the EPA, Joe had a successful career in environmental law in private practice in the various firms he partnered. In his spare time, he acquired and improved numerous family real estate properties in Washington, D.C. which he and his wife leased through their family business.

He is survived by his wife, Catalina, his six children (Joe, Anne, Thomas, Eileen, Catherine and Patrick) and 13 grandchildren (Robert, Christopher, Michael, Brennan, Julia, Sarah, James, Maile, Gwen, Maggie, Connor, Lucy Grace, and Nina) and his brother David. Joe loved classical music and enjoyed many years of season tickets at the Opera house at the Kennedy Center with his wife (and children on their laps). Joe was a night owl who enjoyed restaurants and good food, especially ice cream and Slovenian potica. He relished regular family gatherings at the family’s house on 16th street in Washington, DC or at the cottage on the Chesapeake Bay. He celebrated his Slovenian Catholic heritage with his family through annual Easter basket blessings at the National Shrine’s Slovenian chapel and St. Nicholas events held by the KSKJ/American Slovenian Catholic Union Lodge of DC. He encouraged and supported his children in getting a good education, finding an engaging career, and travelling and enjoying life. In his retirement by the Chesapeake Bay, he enjoyed peaceful days watching the osprey return each year to raise their young and emailing his family the good news of their return.

A memorial service will be held in late 2023 or early 2024.

Details will be shared at a later date.Any memorial donations can be made to St. Anselm’s Abbey School or Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. His daughter, Anne Zorc, also is collecting any donations for a Jesuit school in Dodoma Tanzania, supported by his high school classmate and friend, Father James Strzok, SJ.